The Book is close to Ready and there are two opportunities to hang out!Have you noticed that you can read the first chapter of The Birth Map in the member area?You will soon be able to order the book from anywhere in the world (as an awesome keepsake 'write in me' print book or a no frills ebook). OR! If you are in Australia, you can pre-order the print book from me HERE, and score a bonus book, a copy of the new Daisy Zine AND a head massager!.

Jackie French is my go-to for information on gardening. And as of this month, my go-to for all things wombat. I have been delighting in creating a new garden, which I must protect from the wildlife. This means FENCING! I can not plant anything without building Fort Knox around it. If I don't, the wallabies also delight in my garden. And the rabbits. It turns out, my new garden was across a wombat highway. A few adjustments, and I thought I'd made a compromise. Then we discovered that the wombat had moved in under the stairs. So the wombat is named Harry. And Harry wanted to take a short cut to the new burrow. This short cut goes through my new fence. So many things to consider! It isn't as simple as putting a seed in, or indeed a whole plant. I need to consider the timing, the protections needed (frost, wallabies, rabbits, drought tolerance, full sun or part shade), and my dirt is not quite soil...so composting and mulching...It would be easy to just keep buying in vege...I can even choose to buy off local growers...but there is something awesome about taking responsibility and time to grow my own.

It all starts with being Informed. Taking general and local knowledge into account, from experienced gardeners. I combine new information with my current understanding, to determine what my best options are.It all depends on circumstances (weather, climate, wildlife access, other commitments, soil condition, time, money...) which differ from garden to garden.

Sound familiar?

There is no one way.

This month I am also sharing a wombat poem and a painting by my mum. Because just as with Birth Mapping, when the thinking is done and the informed decisions are made, it is important to relax. To stop and enjoy the awesomeness of it all. To feel light. Supported. Confident.

It has been wonderful seeing Birth Mapping reaching so many people. The image and blog post below resonating well. Conversations on twitter took an interesting turn this week, with Milli Hill from Positive Birth calling out three health care providers who were mocking women who would write birth plans. The conversation started from a study which concluded:

Women with and without a birth plan had similar odds of cesarean delivery. Though they had fewer obstetrical interventions, they were less satisfied with their birth experience, compared with women without birth plans. Further research is needed to understand how to improve childbirth-related patient satisfaction.Before I get to the mocking health care providers, I won't to point out that this conclusion is rather laughable and the article is behind a pay wall. SO important details are not to hand (I am requesting access, stay tuned). For a start: define 'birth plan' (more on this below), . The key points are that those with birth plans had 'fewer obstetrical interventions' and were 'less satistifed'. This can be interpreted as successfully avoid unnecessary intervention and found the maternity system unsupportive and disappointing. This does not mean a birth plan is pointless, but that those who have birth plans are more aware of there options and more aware of the short comings of the system. And the final sentence is plain bizarre; it's called continuity of care, respecting choices and being womAn centre.

The anti-women sentiment of those joyfully sharing this study with mocking statements was shocking. For a start, they probably did not read the study. They leapt on a conclusion that fitted their purposes. This happens repeatedly, not just in birth related studies. These people believe that birth plans a useless. A conclusion they come to because of 'failed' birth plans. They believe birth is unpredictable.

I disagree.

Birth is not unpredictable. There are many possibilities, and you can be prepared for all of them. Informed. Supported. Confident. Your birth, your way. No matter what.

Next month I will be attending a special event in Canberra called 'Let me see my baby', discussing what we can do for and with someone in the space where birth meets death (you could come to, event details here). In this Newsletter

Theo the tiger cub doesn't know how to roar so she embarks upon an adventure, which sees her asking her friends how to roar. This story shows us the value of our voice and celebrates the different voices we have. It also us how to find our voice.

A POEMThere once was a Wombat called Harry,Who decided he wanted to tary,So under the stairHe made his lair,And now with the fence access we parryBLOG POSTFive Reasons to Prepare for an unassisted birthWhilst the far majority of people plan an assisted birth for their primary pathway when creating a birth map, the benefits of considering unassisted birth are undeniable.

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Catherine is a member of the Doula Network Australia

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